In The News

Dr. Anjali Kaimal is names Minehan-Schiff Endowed Scholar

Anjali Kaimal, MD, MAS (Class of 2006) Director of the MGH Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program and Obstetrical Director of the Multidisciplinary Fetal Care Group, was recognized as the inaugural incument of the Minehan-Schiff Endowed Scholar in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Made possible through the generosity of Cathy Minehan, chair of MGH Board of Trustees, this scholar honors the career of Dr. Isaac Schiff, chief emeritus of OB/Gyn.

Many of our ob/gyn residents were chosen for the AY17-18 PCE (clerkship) teaching awards at both Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Below is a list of everyone who received awards.

Dr. Ukachi Emeruwa awarded Outstanding Resident Award

Dr. Ukachi Emeruwa (Class of 2019) was awarded the Outstanding Resident Award from the Harvard Medical School graduating class of 2018. The class honors one resident at graduation to truly acknowledge an exemplary resident - one that they felt they aspire to be like in their upcoming residency training. This is the most competitive award presented at the 2018 graduation.

Drs. Hariton & Burns article is in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Drs.Eduardo Hariton and Abby Burns (Class of 2019) are authors of an article entitled 'Pregnancy and Parental Leave Among Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents: Results of a Nationwide Survey of Program Directors' in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in August 2018. You can read more here.

Dr. Deb Bartz received the Jackson Academy Fellowship in Medical Education for academic year 2018-2019. The funding from this fellowship will provide support for Dr. Bartz's work on the study entitled 'Development of a Sex- and Gender-Informed Undergraduate Medical Curriculum: Incorporation of Education on the Interplay between Biological and Social Determinants of Health for Improved Delivery of Women's and Men's Medical Care.' The Jackson Academy Fellowship carries on Dr. James H. Jackson's legacy of teaching and mentoring.

Additionally, Dr. Bartz has taken on the role of Associate Clerkship Director for the BWH OB/Gyn Clerkship. Dr. Bartz will play an integral role in student teaching, advising, curriculum development, strategic planning, scholarship and research for the clerkship.

Dr. Pietro Bortoletto Joining Social Media Committee

Dr. Pietro Bortoletto (Class of 2019) is joining the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology - Social Media Committee for a three year term.

Dr. Natasha 'Nicki' Johnson, who has been the BWH OB/Gyn Clerkship Director since 2009, has taken on two new roles. First she is the BWH Principle Clinical Experience (PCE) Associate Director. In addition, Dr. Johnson was also named Associate Director and Advisor to the HMS Castle Society. Castle is one of the societies to which all HMS students are assigned and serves as a home for academics, advising and other aspects of medical school life.

Dr. Lori Berkowitz is MGH Vice Chair for Education and Wellbeing

Dr. Lori Berkowitz is serving in a new position at Massachusetts General Hospital OB/Gyn as Vice Chair for Education and Wellbeing. In this role, Dr. Berkowitz will help keep issues of wellness and burn-out front and center. She will also leverage her broad experience in GME to help advance b oth pedagogy and related innovation/research.

Dr. Holly Khachadoorian-Elia was recently named Associate Director and Advisor to the Peabody Society at Harvard Medical School. Peabody is one of the societies to which all HMS students are assigned and serves as a home for academics, advising and other aspects of medical school life.

The Quilligan Scholars Program aims to identify promising residents who have the potential to be leaders in the field of maternal-fetal medicine. Through the program, scholars are offered mentoring and educational opportunities for two years. These opportunities are provided by the SMFM, which advances care in pregnancy by funding research scholarships and global initiatives, offering clinical assistance and providing mentorship for the next generation of doctors and scientists involved in women’s health.

Dr. Kevin Elias' Research is Profiled

Dr. Kevin Elias (Class of 2012), faculty member in BWH Gynecologic Oncology Division, is the lead author in a study that developed a non-invasive diagnostic test using artificial intelligence to detect early-stage ovarian cancer. The study is profiled in an article on Health Data Managment. Please click here to read more.

Dr. Khady Diouf (Class of 2009), faculty member in BWH Global Obstetrics and Gynecologic Health Division, received the Hippocrates Society Humanitarian Award for her global work. She had a six year collaboration with a hospital in Senegal; additionally she is a collaborator for the new Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health in Senegal. The goal of this Center is to decrease rates of maternal mortality in the region.

Drs. Laura Riley and Marcela del Carmen Named to List of 50 Most Influential People of Color in Healthcare

Dr. Laura Riley, Medical Director of Labor and Delivery in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Dr. Marcela del Carmen, Medical Director of the MGH Physicians Organization at Massachusetts General Hospital were named to the Get Konnected List of the 50 Most Influential People of Color in the Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry. These individuals are champions on diversity initiatives within the hospital and area communities and were recognized for their contributions in the city of Boston.

Harvard Medical School
2017 Commencement Awards

Dr. Carey York-Best (Class of 1989) received the Excellence in Clinical Instruction award for her student teaching at Massachusetts General Hospital.

NEAGO 37th Annual Meeting Trainee Award

Dr. Roni Nitecki (Class of 2019) received the NEAGO Trainee Award for best research presentation for her abstract 'Utilization of Palliative Care Referrals in Ovarian Cancer Patients'

Dr. Nawal Nour profiled
by International Women's Forum

Dr. Nawal Nour, Director of the African Women's Health Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital is profiled by the International Women's Forum in March 2017. You can read the article here.

2017 ACOG Mentor Award

Dr. Katie Gray, received the 2017 ACOG Mentor Award for District I. This award was established on May 2009 and is given to an ACOG Fellow, who has actively mentored a young physician or a junior fellow.

2017 MGH PCE Resident Teaching Award in Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Beryl Manning-Geist (Class of 2020) and Samsiya Ona (Class of 2019) were awarded a 2017 MGH PCE Resident Teaching Award in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The Harvard Medical Students in the Principal Clinical Experience at Massachusetts General Hospital in each core clerkship vote on who have contributed the most to their education over the course of the year.

2017 Humanitarian and Volunteerism Award

Dr. Annekathryn Goodman was the 2017 recipient of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s Humanitarian and Volunteerism Award, which is awarded to an individual for her exemplary local, national or international volunteer and outreach efforts in women’s cancer care, research or training. For more than 30 years Dr. Goodman has worked to improve gynecologic care abroad. Since 2008 she has been consulting in Bangladesh on cervical cancer prevention and the development of medical infrastructure to care for women wiht gynecologic cancers.

Dr. Sarah Lassey (Class of 2017) Shared the Rewards and Challenges of Being Chief

When Sarah Lassey, MD, was a junior resident in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, she looked at the program’s chief residents with “so much respect and awe of their knowledge base and how they managed their teams.” Now, Lassey supports and guides junior residents as one of 10 chief residents in the BWH/MGH Integrated Residency Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology, a four-year program. “Being a chief resident is the experience of learning what it’s like to be a young faculty member,” said Lassey. “There’s a lot of leadership responsibility, including figuring out how to manage teams. It’s the first time people are looking to you for all decision-making. It’s a wonderful culmination of learning from the prior three years of residency.&rdquo Depending on the specialty, chief residency either occurs in the final year of one’s residency or as an additional year after residency. In some specialties, all residents in their final year become chiefs; in others, a select number of chiefs are chosen (continue)Read full article ❯

New Publication

Reveal of Dr. Barbieri Portrait

In September, the portrait of the BWH Chair, Dr. Robert Barbieri was revealed. The portrait is currently hanging in the BWH Swift Library if you’re in the area and would like to view it in person. Eventually this portrait will be hung in the Bornstein Auditorium along with all distinguished Department Chairs.

BWPO Awards

The Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization awarded two of our ob/gyn physicians with awards. You can read more about the awards here and here.

Dr. Susan Schilling (Class of 1991) received the Patient and Family-Centered Care Award. This award is given to the physician who go ‘above and beyond expectations’ in providing compassionate, patient and family-centered care.

Dr. Donald P. Goldstein (Class of 1963) was honored for his 55 years of service to BWH and he also received the Senior Distinguished Clinician Award. This award is given to a physician who has demonstrated longstanding, exceptional commitment to their colleagues and patients.

Recent awards presented to residents

Dr. Gianna Wilkie (Class of 2020) was elected Vice President of the Junior Fellows Massachusetts Chapter of ACOG;

Dr. Kartik Venkatesh (Class of 2017) won the award for best resident poster at the MGH Clinical Research Day;

2016 Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Residents showcased their research at 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) meeting, October 15-19, 2016, Salt Lake City Utah. Six residents attended the ASRM meeting. Current residents were lead authors for 6 poster presentations and one oral presentation; they and multiple past residents also contributed to other presentations. Dr. Dan Kaser, resident alum (Class of 2013 and BWH REI Class of 2016), won the ASRM prize paper for his oral presentation, "Randomized Controlled Trial of Low vs Ultralow Oxygen Tension for In Vitro Development in Human Embryos". Malinda Lee (Class of 2017) attended ASRM through an ASRM In-Training Travel Award, and Iris Insogna, Caitlin Sacha, and Jenna Turocy (all Class of 2018) all attended as Resident Reporters.

The Quilligan Scholars Program aims to identify promising residents who have the potential to be leaders in the field of maternal-fetal medicine. Through the program, scholars are offered mentoring and educational opportunities for two years. These opportunities are provided by the SMFM, which advances care in pregnancy by funding research scholarships and global initiatives, offering clinical assistance and providing mentorship for the next generation of doctors and scientists involved in women’s health.

Dr. Venkatesh’s work has involved anti-depression treatment and preterm births, postpartum depression in adolescent mothers and the progression of HIV/AIDS treatment in resource-limited settings in India.

Other alumni who have received this honor include Dr. Mark Clapp in 2015 and Dr. Sarah Rae Easter in 2014.

Addressing Inequities in Pregnancy Care and Childbirth in Chiapas, Mexico

Dr. Rose Molina (Class of 2015) wrote an article about her work with a demonstration project that aims to increase facility-based births in an existing maternal center while promoting quality, respectful maternity care in Chiapas, Mexico. Read more at the BWH Global Health Hub.

BWH CFDD Pillar Awards

We had numerous faculty members receive the 2016 and 2015 BWH CFDD Pillar Awards.

Dr. Ecker becomes Chief of MGH Ob/Gyn

Dr. Jeffrey L. Ecker, graduating class of 1992, accepted the role of Chief of the MGH Obstetrics and Gynecology Department in January of 2016. Please see our Alumni section to read an interview with Dr. Ecker.

Project aims to improve care in the ‘4th trimester’

Dr. Alison Stuebe, (Class of 2005), was prominently cited in an article entitled “Project Aims to Improve Care in the ‘4th trimester’” in Ob.Gyn. News.

Dr. Rebecca Luckett (Class of 2015), was interviewed about her involvement with global health. She also discussed her work with Dr. Joan Bengtson, Associate Program Director, that took place during a week-long surgical mission to Haiti. Read more at Partners Healthcare Graduate Medical Education.

Treating Pregnant Women for Depression May Benefit Baby, Too

Dr. Kartik Venkatesh (Class of 2017) was the lead author of an article titled “Association of Antenatal Depression Symptoms and Antidepressant Treatment with Preterm Birth in the Green Journal. It was also referenced in the New York Times.Dr. Trevin Lau named MGH Clerkship Director